Archive for the ‘Channel Frederator Interview’

This week’s Channel Frederator film “Distraxion” comes to us from Mike Stern, who is currently working at Dreamworks Animation and is an instructor at AnimationMentor.comand was kind enough to do a quick interview.

Channel Frederator: Where did you study animation?

Mike Stern: I went to NYU to study digital imaging and design. This is where I got my start in general 3D. Towards the end of my studies there I decided to specialize in animation. As luck would have it AnimationMentor was just opening its doors and I signed up to be part of their first class.

Animators Peter Smith and Magnus Møller (along with fellow students Alice Holme and Anders Brogaard) submitted their outstanding multimedia treat-for-the-eyeballs “Elk Hair Caddis” and Channel Frederator was more than thrilled to show it! Below, Peter speaks on behalf of the creative team and gives us some in depth info on the filmmaking process. Check out the production team’s ‘making of’ videos here.

Pierre Adrien is the creator of this week’s featured Cartoon Hangover film, “Chair Amie”, a nightmarish take on the ‘morning after’. The film has incited extreme responses from CH viewers and understandably so - it is graphic, raw, surreal and frightening. Read on to learn more about Pierre and be sure to check out his blog and take a look at his sketches and concept art. A-stonishing stuff.

You have 48 hours to create a short film, top to bottom. What do you do? Why, make a music video about a tokin’ Sasquatch. Doy. This week on Cartoon Hangover we’re featuring “Talkin’ Sasquatch Blues” created at the 2009 CalArts 48 hour film festival by Trevor Jones featuring music by Ten Mile Tide. Below, Trevor tells us more about the ‘toon, but most importantly, decides the winner in a Yeti vs. Sasquatch scenario.

Cartoon Hangover: Where did you study animation?

Trevor Jones: I’m in my second year at Calarts, but I studied a bit at my community college in Albuquerque and at my high school’s Career Enrichment Center before that.

Casey Safron: I was an American Studies major at Brandeis University, but drew the comic for my college paper and then started learning animation at an NYC studio called the Ink Tank at my first post grad job.

CF: Where are you making people study animation now?

GK: As far as I know, KC or myself aren’t making anyone study animation. I would hate to make anyone study anything they didn’t want to.

CS: I have been managing the School of Visual Arts BFA Animation Department since [Read more…]

“The Head” by Dante Zaballa and Matias Vigliano is a trippy tribute to old-school ‘toons! Here, Dante speaks on behalf of the creative duo and tells us a little more about the film.

Channel Frederator: Where did you study animation?

Dante Zaballa: Matias came from the motion graphics land, he studied Graphic Design at the University of Buenos Aires, and I studied traditional animation in Club Cartoon, also in BA. This video came from the crazy idea of making a piece of hand drawn cartoon without knowing how to face all the problems on the way, all made by ourselves and always on the rush… we’re really happy to finally have made it!

This weeks Cartoon Hangover joint is from Patrick and Kimberly Mallek at Mighty Fudge Studios. Because of the nature of the film, and the increasing number of children tooling around the Channel Frederator blog, I will be *ing anything that might seem… unseemly. Below is an interview with Patrick about the Schoolhouse Rock-ish “My First B*ner”

Cartoon Hangover: Where did you study animation, if at all?

Patrick Mallek: In a van down by the r*ver.

CH: What gave you the idea for “My First B*ner”?

PM: I w*ke up with it. No. Seriously.

CH: “My First B*ner” is credited to you and your w*fe, Kim - is it weird working on b*ner cartoons with your spouse or is it business as usual?

This week’s Cartoon Hangover ‘toon “Vegeterrible” by Henrik Sonniksen and Benjamin Neilsen is about good food… gone bad. Am I right? Get it? HA! Here, Henrik speaks on behalf the creative team and lets us know a little more about the film.

Cartoon Hangover: Where did you guys study animation?

Henrik Sonniksen: We studied animation at The Animation Workshop in Viborg. We started school back in 2006 and graduated with “Vegeterrible” in January this year.

CH: Who are your favorite artists/animators?

HS: For Vegeterrible we looked at a lot of artwork form French students at Gobelins and at some of the amazing movies from the Japanese animation studio; Studio 4C, who made films like Tekkonkinkreet and Mind Game.

So you’re staring at a timelapse of decaying food, like you do, when suddenly BAM! Fuzzy old raspberries turn into a fuzzy little person… and then things go bonkers from there. That’s how “Homunculus” a short film by Humble TV’s Sam Stephens and Chris Mauch starts out. Here they tell us how the film was made, and how to get rid of that bloated pheasant carcass smell.

Channel Frederator: Where did you study animation?

Sam Stephens: NYU. Tisch.
Chris Mauch: Went to School of Visual Arts, and Came out of their Excellent Computer Art Dept. One of my most crucial teachers/Advisors was Animator Jefferey Lerer.